Ski rope-tow gripping device



Nov. 11, 1952 J. E. ANKETELL 2,617,363

SKI ROPE-TOW GRIPPING DEVICE Filed Dec. 20, 1948 [lave rzdor 0/2 7&5. dam/218x811 5 My 1 1155;?

Patented Nov. 11 1952 SKI ROPE-TOW GRIPPING DEVICE John E. Anketell, Danvers, Mass., assignor to Ansalee Corporation, Danvers, Mass., at corporation of Massachusetts Application December 20, 1948, Serial No. 66,243

2 Claims. (Cl. 104=-202) This invention relates to a ski rope-tow gripping device of the type employed by skiers to facilitate handling and control of the tow rope throughout its passage from the bottom to the summit of the skiing hill.

One object of the invention is to provide a gripping device of the character described which can be readily applied'to the tow rope after forward motion of the skier thereon has once been started in the customary manner, which insures with a minimum requirement of efiort by the skier, an eificient and positive grip on the tow rope throughout its uphill passage and irrespective of the slippery condition of the rope, which permits the skier to maintain a comfortable position with relation to the tow rope and to conveniently carry his ski poles out of danger of possible entanglement with the tow rope throughout the ascent of the hill, and which is readily releasable and removable from the tow rope when the summit of the hill is reached or at any point throughout the uphill passage should the skier meet with accident along the way, thereby to insure maximum safety at all times to the skier throughout the ascent.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gripping device of the character described which can be instantaneously shifted to a convenient carrying position in association with one of the ski poles when the skier prepares for descent of the hill and which, at all times throughout the downhill run, is disassociated from the skiers body, thereby further to insure his maximum safety in case of sudden fall.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a ski rope-tow gripping device which is convenient in size and shape, which is durable yet light of weight and which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

In one aspect the present invention involves a ski rope-tow gripping device comprising a U- shaped rope gripping member having spaced legs, the inner faces of the legs being flat and parallel to one another to define a channel for removably and slidably receiving a tow rope, and an operating handle extending at right angles outwardly from one of the legs and at an angle oblique to the plane of the inner face thereof, the longitudinal center line of the operating handle intersecting the said one of the legs at a point approximately equidistant from its ends, the operating handle being operable in a plane extending through the center longitudinal axis of the tow rope, the other leg being oiiset in a plane parallel to the plane of inner faces of said legs, whereby when the handle is swung in the plane of the center longitudinal axis of the rope the inner faces of the oiiset legs adjacent one of their diagonally opposed edges will bear against the rope with a kinking action, thereby firmly to grip the rope therebetween. The operating handle extends outwardly from an edge of one of the legs, the other leg being offset but in overlapping relation to the said one leg in a plane parallel to the plane of the inner faces of said legs and in a direction away from the edge of the said one leg from which the handle projects.

In another aspect the invention involves a ski rope-tow gripping device comprising a U-shaped rope gripping member and an operating handle extending outwardly from an edge of one of the legs of the U, the operating handle being U- shaped in cross section throughout its length and defining a semicircular channel for the reception of a handle of a ski pole throughout a portion of the length of the ski pole handle, said edge of one of the legs of the U and the corresponding edge of the other leg of the U being tangential to a line drawn along the bottom of the ski pole handle. receiving channel, whereby when the gripping device is not associated with a tow rope it may be carried in engagement with the handle of the ski pole without interference with the gripping member. The gripping member may have spaced legs, the inner faces of the legs being flat and parallel to one another to define a channel for removably and slidably receiving a tow rope, and the operating handle may extend at right angles outwardly from an edge of one of the legs and at an angle oblique to the plane of the inner face of said one leg, the said one edge of one of the legs being tangential to a line drawn along the bottom of the ski pole handle receiving channel, the other leg being offset in a plane parallel to the plane of the inner faces of said legs and 1n a direction away from the edge of the said one leg from which the handle projects so that its corresponding edge is also tangential to said line. More specifically, the longitudinal center line of the operating handle intersects the said one of the legs at a point approximately equidistant from its ends, the other leg being ofiset in a plane parallel to the plane of the inner faces of said legs and transversely of the said one leg in a direction away from the edge from which the handle projects.

For the purpose of illustration, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of the invention applied to a tow rope and showing 3 the position in which it is held while the skier is ascending the hill;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 1, the tow rope being shown in dot and dash lines;

Fig. Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 2;

Figs. 5 and 6 are side elevations of the embodiment of Fig. 1 applied to the handle of a ski pole and showing alternative positions in which it is held when disassociated from the tow rope and during the down hill run.

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the embodiment of Fig. 1 showing the position in which it is applied to the tow rope upon initial engagement with the rope.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, the invention comprises a U-shaped rope gripping member I having spaced legs 2 and 3 interconnected at their lower ends by an arcuate base, the inner faces 4 and 5 of the spaced legs 2 and 3, respectively, being fiat and parallel to one another to define a channel 6 of sufficient width freely to accommodate a tow rope 'I as shown in Fig 2, the tow rope being readily removable from and freely slidable within the channel.

An operating handle 8 of a length sufficient to accommodate the width of the palm of an average mans hand extends at righ angles outwardly from the edge 9 of leg 3 and at an angle oblique to the plane of its inner face 5, the longitudinal center line of the operating handle intersecting the leg 3 at a point I approximately equidistant from its ends as shown in Fig. 2.

line operating handle 8 is generally semicircular in shape throughout its length having upwardly curved side walls II and I2 defining a convex outer peripheral surface I3 conforming to the natural curve of the palm and fingers of the hand when in gripping position and further defining a concave channel I4 therebetween for the reception of a handle I of a ski pole throughout a portion of the length of the ski pole handle.

The edge 9 of leg 3 at thepoint I0 is tangential to a line drawn along the bottom It of the ski pole handle receiving channel while the leg 2 is offset but in overlapping relation to leg 3 in a plane parallel to the plane of the inner faces 4 and 5 of said legs and transversely of leg 3 in a direction away from said edge 9 so that the corresponding edge ll of leg 2 is also tangential to said line.

An aperture I8 may be provided in the bottom I6 of the channel I4 adjacent the end of the operating handle 8 for the reception of an end of a length of rope (not shown) if desired.

In use upon the ski rope-tow, it is to be understood that before the gripping device may be used for its intended purpose, the skier must first have started up the tow in the usual manner by gripping the tow rope firmly in both hands.

During this preliminary step until the skier is moving forwardly with the tow rope in the customary manner, and assuming that the rope is moving in the direction of the arrow shown adjacent Fig. 7 and that the skier is on the lefthand side of the tow, the operating handle of the gripping device is preferably held in the manner shown in Fig. '7 with its concave outer peripheral surface in engagement with the palm of the skiers hand. As thus held, the operating handle is applied to the rope by first aligning its longitudinal center line with the longitudinal axis of the rope, the gripping member facing in a direc- 3 is a section along the lines 3-3 of tion opposite from the direction of movement of the rope, and by then moving the operating handle toward the rope until it is accommodated in the ski pole handle receiving channel. Simultaneously, the fingers of the skier encircle and clasp the exposed portion of the rope lying beneath the operating handle to hold the handle tightly in engagement with the rope and thereby firmly to grip the rope and handle in the right hand.

After the skier is once moving forwardly with the tow rope and while still retaining his grip upon the rope with his left hand, he releases the fingers of his right hand from encirclement of the rope and. removes the operating handle outwardly away from engagement with the rope. Still gripping the handle in his right hand in the manner shown in Fig. 1, he then applies the gripping device to the tow rope by holding the gripping member I below the tow rope and moving it upwardly until the rope is received within the channel 6 in the position shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 2, the handle at this time being held at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the rope so that the rope freely slides into the channel. As the longitudinal center line of the operating handle lies in the plane of the center longitudinal axis of the rope, the operating handle is then swung toward the skier in said plane to the osition shown in Fig. 1, thereby to cause the inner faces of the offset legs 2 and 3 adjacent their diagonally opposed edges I1 and I9 to bear against the rope with a sharp kinking action.

From the foregoing, it is evident that there will be no tendency for the gripping device to twist around the tow rope thereby accidently to disengage the same from between the offset legs, and that when the operating handle is in the position shown in Fig. 1, which is a convenient and comfortable towing position for the skier with relation to the rope, the rope is effectively and sharply gripped between the offset legs of the gripping member.

It is further evident that should the skier meet with accident during the uphill passage of the tow rope or for some reason desire suddenly to get off the tow rope, he need only momentarily swing the operating handle in the reverse direction thereby to return the inner faces of the legs to a freely sliding engagement with the rope and then instantaneously drop the device downwardly to remove the rope from the channel 6. Further, if the accident should be so sudden that the skier is obliged to release his grip upon the operating handle it would instantly swing in said reverse direction by the force of the rope returning to its normal unkinked position, whereupon the gripping device will fall from the rope by force of gravity and not be carried into the mechanism normally associated with a ski ropetow.

Should the skier be compelled to be on the right hand side of the tow rope the gripping device will be used in a similar manner to that above described except that the operating handle will be held in the left hand, the open end of the channel 6 will be facing downwardly instead of upwardly and the device will be applied to the rope by lowering the gripping member I until the rope is received in the channel Ii as aforesaid. To release the device from the tow rope under these circumstances the same movements as above described will be executed except that in removing the rope from the channel 6 the gripping member will be. pulled outwardly away from the rope by a simple right-hand twist of the skiers wrist.

On reaching the summit of the hill the gripping device is released from the tow rope as above described and then is immediately shifted and held in the carrying position in association with the handle of the skiers pole as shown in Figs. 5 or 6, the handle of the pole being received throughout a portion of its length in the channel l4. As the edges I! and 9 of the offset legs 2 and 3 are tangential to the line drawn through the bottom of the ski pole receiving channel, the device is conveniently held in snug engagement with the ski pole handle without interference from the gripping member. In this manner, the gripping device is disassociated from the body of the skier at all times during the down hill run thereby to insure his maximum safety in case of sudden fall.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A ski rope-tow gripping device operative, upon initially engaging the rope tow and until forward motion therewith is attained, to grip an undefiected, substantially straight run of rope, said device comprising an elongate substantially straight handle U-shaped in cross section throughout its length and defining a semicircular channel for receiving and frictionally embracing a portion of the periphery of the rope, said handle constituting one jaw of a friction clamp, the other jaw being constituted by the hand of the user while gripping the rope lying within said channel and a U-shaped member at one end of the handle defining a rope receiving channel the legs of the U being operative to engage the rope with a kinking action after said forward motion is attained. a corresponding edge of each leg being tangential to a line drawn along the bottom of other jaw being constituted by the hand of the.

user While gripping the rope lying within said channel and a U-shaped member at one end of the handle defining a rope receiving channel the legs of the U being parallel to each other and their longitudinal axes being normal to the longitudinal axis of the handle and the faces of the legs extending at an angle oblique to said longitudinal axis of the handle, the inner faces of said legs being operative to engage the rope with a kinking action after said forward motion is attained, the outer face of one of the legs constituting a stop for the heel of the hand, a corresponding edge of each leg being tangential to a line drawn along the bottom of the semicircular channel of the handle, whereby the initial engagement may be made without interference from the U-shaped member.

JOHN E. ANKETELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,217,946 Dondero Oct. 15, 1940 2,301,842 Abdella Nov. 10, 1942 2,340,868 Dye Feb. 8, 1944 2,473,300 Puricelli June 14, 1949 

